I’m not sure about you, but I’ve always been a fan of ‘The Apprentice‘ (even though I’m not sure where on earth they find some of the candidates! and shocked at some of their lack of business prowess prior to joining! So when I learned that Karen Brady has a new show “Give it a Year”, having read her book ’10 rules for success’ I was looking forward to seeing what she had to offer.
However, as I watched I became more and more disappointed.
In case you’ve not heard of the show, the format is – Karen meets a new startup, gives some advice and then they catch up after 12 months to see if the goals they set, in the beginning, have been actioned and their results.
Sounds good right? A newbie business person with a great idea gets invaluable advice from someone who is both a successful entrepreneur in her own right and sits at the right hand of one of THE most successful entrepreneurs in the UK.
Then the first entrepreneur came on, she had a business in the weddings industry designing illuminated lettering for the ceremony and wedding breakfast. It appeared an interesting idea in a steady growth market.
However, when Karen asked what she wanted to achieve in 12 months time, the answers offered no clarity, or certainty were neither SMART or BFHAG and were simply left unchallenged!
The second entrepreneur was even worse. When asked what do you want to achieve by the end of the year, he simply replied “Rent a few more”
Others goals included:
- Payback some of the initial investment to my parents
- Give up my job
- Double my turnover (which is a start towards a more specific goal, unless your current turnover is 0!)
I was really shocked and disappointed Karen let them get away with that level of generalism when it came to such milestone goals. On the Apprentice she had always been one to observe EVERYTHING and report back to Lord Sugar her findings, not leaving a stone unturned, but here she was more ‘Mum’ than coach or entrepreneur having a friendly chat than offering anything by means or caution or advice!
I know it’s only TV, but was it worth watching? Surely the whole purpose of having the opportunity of Karen Brady interact with your business is to benefit from her knowledge and expertise, not have a selfie and a pat on the head!
How do your GOALS stack up?
Remember a goal is only a dream without ACTION. But unless you have absolute clarity on EXACTLY what it is you are GOING to achieve, it’s too difficult to measure if your current activity is contributing to that outcome or simply BUSY being BUSY!
I always love it when a prospective customer is uncertain as to whether I am the right coach to help them SCALE their business…
“Your clearly motivated, and have some GREAT results” they will often start by saying “But I’m not sure if you have sufficient experience in my industry?” they will ask…
“Thankfully not” I often reply to their amazement. You see, I don’t want or need to know about the ‘nuts and bolts’ in your business, that’s at an operational level, and that’s not going to SCALE your business.
Working with a coach should always be at a strategic level, and for that, all we really need to get started is true, up to date and accurate set of real numbers and timescales to any goal you have for your business.
You cannot track, change course or improve upon anything you cannot quantify. If your current goals feel a little “fluffy” today is a good time to review them and revise accordingly.
If you watched the program and have any comments, feel free to let me know.
Likewise, if you have some great goals, feel proud and send them over. Getting that accountability can be the making of a great target! – Iw*****@*********co.uk